Eggs on Tomatoes with Toast for Two
by The-Passionate-Sun
Summary: MODERN.   "We're friends now, apparently."  "What? How'd that happen."  "I dunno. She smiled at me when she came out and I didn't jump down her throat by telling her she was horrible but I loved her anyways."
1. Chapter 1

a/n: i was inspired by this fic i read where jane and darcy talk on their wedding day about what darcy did to seperate bingley and jane, and i thought "holy crap, what if they were friends?"

and then this story was born.

um, it's elizabeth/will and charlie/jane, in case you're wondering. :D

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><p>"Hey," Jane said breathlessly as she fell into the booth, across the table from him. Her cheeks were red from the cold, and she was breathing heavily due to the fact that she had just run two blocks from the apartment to the coffee shop. "Guess what?"<p>

Will calmly raised his coffee mug in greeting, before bringing it up to his mouth and taking a nice long gulp. He leaned back in his seat. "What?"

"Guess."

"Um," Will pretended to think, taking another sip of his coffee. "No."

"_Will, _just guess, c'mon."

"No."

"Pleaaaase?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to."

"You're such a killjoy, Will."

"You're too kind to me, Jane."

"You suck."

"Still not going to guess."

"Fine. But let the record note that you officially _suck._"

"Duly noted. So what's the big news?"

"Oh, right." Momentarily forgetting her best friend's lack of enthusiasm, Jane's eyes brightened again. "My sister's coming!"

In a moment of stupidity, he forgot to ask which one. In another, consequent moment of stupidity, he asked a stupid question instead.

"...to New York?"

"Yes, Will," Jane explained patiently, reaching across the table to pick up the coffee that he had already ordered for her. "To New York. Where we live."

Will blinked. "I thought you were going home?"

"I _was_ planning on going home for the holidays, but then Mom and Dad called and said that they and Katelyn and Lydia were going to the UK to visit my aunt and uncle, and since she and I don't really want to spend our whole break with our five million cousins, I told her to just come here."

"Oh. Well, that's cool," he said weakly. "Ella's coming."

"I know right! We barely get any time to see each other anymore; it'll be great to be under the same roof for the two weeks."

Jane, unfortunately, didn't notice how not-great Darcy looked when she said "under the same roof."

Maybe if she had, the whole debacle could have been avoided.

Genevieve Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy had been best friends since their first meeting at Columbia eight years ago.

On the first day of lectures, they'd been put into the same class. Jane had been ridiculously early, and Will, in contrast, had gotten in thirty seconds before 9:00 AM. For some reason, the only seat available was the one next to Jane, and so Will had no choice but to take it, despite the fact that he'd much rather have been in the back of the lecture hall than front-and-center.

It worked out well, though, since they had bonded over their ridiculously outrageous names after the professor had called roll. After class, he had asked her out for coffee with the intention of getting into her pants, but she (very sweetly) shut him down and told him she had a boyfriend back home and she hoped he wouldn't be too offended if they could be just friends.

He _wasn't_ too offended, and they'd ended up the best of friends.

Now, nearly a decade later, they were splitting the cost of a two-bedroom apartment on the Upper East Side, very close to both Will's law firm, and Columbia-Presbyterian, where Jane was a surgical resident.

The one snag in their (very platonic) relationship, though, was Elizabeth Anne Bennet.

Lizzie was one year younger than Jane, and was the second oldest Bennet sister. As a second-year pre-law student, she'd been looking for opportunities to intern in New York City, where some of the best law firms in the country had been established, rather than in Palo Alto, where she went to school. Since Jane and Will were close, and Jane knew that Will's father was a senior partner at Bingley, Fitzwilliam, &Hurst, she had put them in touch with each other.

Three weeks in, Darcy's father had complimented her eagerness to learn, and Will, who had been overcome with something akin to jealously, had commented that his father only liked her because he thought that she was pretty and, if she ever ended up in their firm, she'd only been used for her looks.

He'd then gone on to add that he'd seen prettier girls than Elizabeth Bennet before, and she was nothing special. "Barely attractive, Dad," he'd said. "If even that."

It had gone on to bite him in the ass, because as the summer went on, he'd fallen in love with her. She hadn't put up with any of his attitude, and hadn't been nice to him just because he was the boss' son. In fact, she had gone out of her way to let him know just how much she hated him.

Maybe he was just masochistic, but the sight of her green eyes blazing at him, her cheeks flushed, and her overall frustration at him turned him on. It didn't help that whenever he saw her around _other people_, she was always smiling.

And she had a really beautiful smile.

He'd ended up confessing his feelings for her before she left, and she told him (not as sweetly as Jane had) that there was no chance in _hell _that they'd ever end up together.

In fact, her exact words had been, "You _asshole. _Why would you even _assume, _that after all the crap you've put me through this summer, I would even be remotely interested in you? There is no chance in hell that I will _ever _have feelings for you."

Needless to say, he hadn't talked to her much after that.

"Of course she's staying with us, Will. She's my sister; where else do you think she's going to go?"

"The Sheraton," he answered hastily. "And you should stay there, too. Take a mini-vacation."

"What? No!" Jane laughed. "That's expensive. And outrageous, for two weeks?"

"I'll pay," he offered. "Really, you deserve it."

"Deserve to be kicked out of my apartment?" She asked slowly, eyebrows furrowing.

"No," he said lamely. "Just...you deserve a vacation."

"Will," she said, realization dawning. "Why do you want me out of the apartment so bad?"

"I don't, Jane, why would you think that?"

"You're offering to pay for me to stay at the Sheraton for two weeks, Will. Over Christmas. You want me out, and you want me out, _bad."_

Will took a deep breath, fully intending to tell her the truth. "I invited Charlie Bingley to town since I thought you were leaving and now we're all going to have to live under one roof."

But then he chickened out and lied.

"Oh, Fitzwilliam Darcy, you..._you bastard!"_

Fuck he was in trouble.

Jane never cursed.

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><p>Loved, it, hated, it, didn't particularly care...leave a review!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

a/n: yaaay, you guys liked it! I hope i do justice to the second chapter. um, also, i typically update once every week or so. sometimes twice a week. but not normally two chapters in one weekend. so yeah, please don't expect it, because if you do, i'll fall short of your expectations and feel really bad.

Also, this story takes place _after _what would be the first proposal of darcy to elizabeth, and after charlie leaves jane. but the circumstances are different, so there is still a story to tell. if you think either charlie or jane is OOC, please remember that different things have happened to shape them as people. on the whole, though, they are both still generally affable people. With backbones.

I really loved how no one asked about the title. my respect for all of you just went up, SO MUCH. no joke. loveeee!

replies to questions asked in reviews:

Avanell: Why Jane hates Bingley will all be revealed in due time (;

Life swings like jazz: I'm glad you giggled! That made my day. Yeah, Jane will definitely have more of a backbone. Don't worry, it's not going to make her too different though.

Lindablanche: Jane does NOT know what happened between Will and Elizabeth. Good question.

GreenElephant: I needed to have some reason for Will and Jane to bond. and since genevieve is kind of an outrageous name, and jane is a simple sort of a person, i figured she'd just want a simple nickname.

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><p>Charles Bingley III had always been a very happy sort of man. He was the type of man who would be smiling to everyone and whistling to himself as he walked down the street. If hebumped into someone, he would touch them lightly at the crook of the elbow, apologize, and then be on his merry way; if someone dropped something, he was always the first one crouching down, scrambling to pick it up. He would always find the humor in any situation (so long as someone wasn't dead, dying, or heartbroken), and it was thanks to him that Will Darcy didn't have permanent creases in his forehead.<p>

And because Charlie had always been a very happy sort of man, it was always surprising when he had a crappy day.

Which today was.

First, his father had given him the newest case to come to the firm. Some divorce battle between a husband and wife, involving six kids, five houses, four cars, and all the junk that _fit into _five houses and four cars. Five of the six kids, thankfully, went to boarding school, but still.

Charlie Bingley had better things to do than convince the wife that the homes in New York and Los Angeles were worth the same monetary value as the other three, and it would eventually mean less money for upkeep to just keep two.

Women. Honestly.

Then, his sister had called and said that she had found the perfect woman for him. One of their _social standing_! Whatever the hell that meant.

Caroline was "absolutely sure that Charlie would fall in love with this one." Knowing Caro, it was probably some slut who hadn't gone to college and was now looking for a rich man to sink her claws into. After all, with no income herself, and this horrible economy, she needed to survive, didn't she?

But he digressed.

Had anyone else been given the case, Charlie would honestly have believed that his father believed in that person and had offered them this amazing opportunity to further themselves and forge an amazing career. Unfortunately, his father was the 'Bingley' third to Bingley, Fitzwilliam, & Hurst, which meant that once his father died, _he _would be the 'Bingley' third to Bingley, Fitzwilliam, & Hurst. Charlie didn't have to prove himself. So, naturally, his father was setting him up to fail.

And had Lisa been the one to call him, Charlie was pretty sure he could have been guilted into actually meeting the woman. He and his eldest sister had grown considerably closer after Lisa had gotten married and Charlie had had his heart broken.

But Charlie would not fail, because Charlie was _Charlie, _and he would face his problems with a smile and make his own decisions and be a strong human being who could think for himself. And Charlie would call Caroline and kindly tell her to get her nose out of his love life.

Shaking his head free of such thoughts, Charlie answered his ringing phone. "Bingley."

"Hey," Darcy's panicked voice filled his ear. "I need you to do me a favor."

"Uh...sure, what's up?"

"I need you to book a flight to New York for the 21st."

"Of _December?"_

"Yes."

Charlie pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at the screen, double-checking that it was Will calling. Putting the phone back to his ear, he tried again. "Of _this _year?"

"Yes, Charlie," Will said impatiently. "December 21st, 2011. As in three weeks from now."

"_That_ is not happening," Charlie laughed incredulously.

"No, Charlie, I'm not asking you. I'm begging you. _Please _book a flight to New York."

"Why?"

"Because," Will explained quickly. "Ella's coming to New York for two weeks and she's staying with us."

"Ella?"

"Elizabeth Bennet." Of course. Will was the only one who called Elizabeth Bennet 'Ella'. Not that she knew this, of course. Charlie was pretty sure that Will hadn't talked to the love of his life for at least three years.

"_Lizzie's coming? _To live with you? For two _whole _weeks?"

"Yes. In December. In New York."

"This is perfect! There's nothing more romantic than Christmas in New York with your best friend's sister, who you so happen to be in love with."

"Sure there is. Like having your other best friend over, too, to distract the roommate best-friend with the sister."

Charlie's face fell. "Wait, what?"

"I already told Jane that you're coming over for two weeks to spend Christmas with me," Will said flatly.

Charlie almost stopped walking in the middle of the street. "Why would you do that?"

"Because how the fuck else am I supposed to get Ella and Jane to stay somewhere that _isn't _the apartment?"

"Will...Jane _hates _me."

"I'm aware."

"No, I don't think you are."

"Charlie, there has to be an immense love behind such a deep hatred."

"Well, _that _makes me feel better," Charlie replied sarcastically. "You're out of your mind."

"I need you to do this for me, I promise I will never ask you for anything for the rest of my life."

"See, now that's a lie."

"I know. Charlie, come on. You're a lovable guy. Just paste a smile on and face the problem."

Charlie sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "Alright, fine, I'll do it."

"Great. You'll be staying from the 16th to the 2nd. Check your e-mail, the receipt should have been sent about half an hour ago."

This time Charlie _did _stop in the street. "You already booked my ticket?" he asked, horrified. "Will, what if I had said no."

"_Would _you have said no?" Will asked dryly. "What with Jane here, and all."

Charlie sighed again. "Probably not," he answered grudgingly.

"That's what I thought. _Thank you, _Charlie."

"You owe me, Will."

"No, I don't. In fact, I think that by the time you leave New York,_ you'll_ owe _me_. This is going to be the best thing that's ever happened to you, Charlie. I promise you won't regret this."

"I promise you I will."

"Sure you will, Charlie. Look, I gotta go. I just wanted to tell you what you were going to be doing for the last half of December. Bye." Click.

What the hell had he just agreed to do?

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><p>Elizabeth was <em>bored. <em>

When she had graduated from UCLA's law school last year, she had decided that it would be a good idea to stay in the area and practice. Los Angeles did, after all, rival New York in it's opportunities for those in the legal profession.

She hadn't gotten any farther than Westwood, though, and after living there for five years and eating at Noodle Planet at least twice a week, she was sick of it and she wanted out. She wasn't a college student, or a law student, and she was more than capable of cooking her own meals. She had graduated top of her class at Stanford, and then again at UCLA, so what the hell was she doing running around the office, performing errands for her higher-ups? Sure, she wasn't a partner yet, and wouldn't be for quite a while, but she had been working there for almost a year and she was an _associate _for God's sake. At the very least, she should be getting a position as second counsel every so often. It wasn't too much to ask, especially not after paying more than $200 grand for her seven-year education.

She turned off the television in the middle of a rerun of The Good Wife (how come no one at _her _law firm looked like Matt Czuchry?), and looked around her living room. Soft, buttery brown leather couches, a red papasan chair with a brown frame, three beige walls and one painted a nice red color.

Charlotte came out of the kitchen just then, two large mugs of steaming cocoa in her hand. Lizzie gratefully accepted one, after shifting herself on the couch so that Charlotte could sit down, too. The two girls brought their legs up in front of them, and, cross-legged, faced each other.

"So," Charlotte started. "How was your day?"

"I got an call from Bingley, Fitzwilliam, & Hurst, today."

"What?" Charlotte leaned forward eagerly. "What did it say?"

"Nothing important," Lizzie said, fighting the smile that was tugging at her lips. "Just that they think I would be a great addition to their company."

Charlotte hadn't even been on the sofa for a full minute before she jumped up again, the liquid chocolate flying everywhere. Ignoring the stains that were seeping into their accent throws, she shrieked. "YOU GOT THE JOB?"

Lizzie nodded excitedly, grin breaking out. "I GOT THE JOB!"

"OH MY GOD."

"I'M GOING TO NEW YORK."

"Oh, my God, Lizzie," Charlotte quieted suddenly. "You're going to have to tell Jane."

"Tell Jan what? She knows I'm coming."

"She knows your coming for_ two weeks_. Did you even tell her you applied for a job in New York?"

Lizzie groaned. She hadn't, in fact, mentioned any of this to her sister. "_Damn_ it."

"Hey, it's okay. At least you have two weeks to figure out how you're going to tell her that you hid this from her. and Will Darcy won't even be there."

Lizzy looked at Charlotte in alarm. "Char," she whispered, all of her previous elation gone. "I'm going to be working with Will Darcy."

Charlotte's jaw dropped open. "Oh Lizzie. _Now _you're screwed."

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><p>an: so yeah, i'd really appreciate reviews! if you leave me a question, i'll be sure to respond to it in the author's note of the next chapter. :D


	3. Chapter 3

a/n: thank you guys SO much for your support on this story! I am so honored that you guys love it/like it. Whichever. You guys took the time to review/favorite/alert, and that just makes my day, so thank you. Even to you silent readers who are reading this, thanks for spending your time on it!

keep in mind, that Will, Charlie, and Jane are all 27 and Lizzie is 26. There will be cursing in this story, but someone kindly asked me in a review to keep it to an absolute minimum and to that I say that i will definitely try my best, because I have given this a T rating. However, they are mature adults and they are in circumstances that would make any sane person want to curse. Jane and Charlie's history will be revealed soon, and someone asked me to put in flashbacks to that summer, which I will also gladly do.

for those of you reading The Contract Rules, I am working on the last two chapters but I have hit a bit of a writer's block. If I don't finish it by the end of spring break (April 22), don't hold your breath for it until after the second week of May because i'll be off studying for APs. Sorry!

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><p>"Will!"<p>

Will walked into the living room from the kitchen, the last bite of his sandwich halfway to his mouth, when he saw an accent pillow being thrown his way. Catching it with his free hand (and consequently dropping it, too. Damn silk), he let it on the ground and started walking carefully towards his assailant. "What are you doing, Jane?'

She turned around, panic clearly evident in her eyes. "I can't find my left earring."

"Uh," Will glanced up to look at the clock. "We're going to the _airport. _Why do you need to wear earrings?"

"Because I want to look good for my sister," she said innocently, smoothing down her dress. "And you know how New Yorkers are. Totally snobby if you're not dressed right."

Eyeing her as if he thought she was insane (which, incidentally, he did), he muttered an "okay" in a tone that clearly indicated the he didn't believe her, and then followed her out the doorway, stuffing the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth. He paused behind her when she stopped to take off her right earring and place it on the table in the foyer.

When she stopped again right in front of the front door, turning to face the mirror on the wall to fix her hair, Will walked around her to the coat closet. Grabbing a coat for each of them, he said, "Jane, Charlie's not going to care what you're wearing. He'll just be happy that he's alive after being in the same room with you for more than ten minutes."

Jane replied evenly. "I am _not _doing this for Charlie Bingley, Will, I don't know why you would think that."

Biting back his retort ("Ella doesn't care what you wear, ever, she just loves you, and besides _you _don't even go out of your way to look nice unless you want to look good for someone"), he shoved her coat at her and pushed her out the door. "Whatever. Let's just go. I don't want to keep El-_Charlie_ waiting."

Thankfully, Jane didn't ask about the slip of tongue, and since they caught a cab within minutes, they were, for once, on time to JFK.

Maybe the universe hated them, or maybe it really loved them, but both Lizzie and Charlie were flying Delta, and, because Lizzie's flight had become delayed (as LAX to JFK usually was), they came out into the baggage terminal at the same time.

In a situation such as this, Will thought, pushing himself off the pillar he was leaning on as he saw Elizabeth appear, both parties were required to extend olive branches to keep the peace.

Elizabeth Bennet, with her bright eyes and shy smile, was _definitely _extending an olive branch.

And hey, he was still in love with the woman, so he was going to take all that she was going to give. Even if he was slighty pathetic for that.

"Hey Will," she bit her lip, trying to keep from smiling awkwardly. She didn't know what to say to the guy, except for 'I don't hate you anymore!', but that didn't seem to be acceptable. So she did the next best thing. "You didn't have to go through the trouble of coming to the airport, especially not for me."

"He didn't," another voice said, right next to her ear. Lizzie flinched in surprise, only to turn and find Charles Bingley's face two inches from her own. "He came for me."

"Charlie," she gasped in shock. "Oh, my God, Charlie! I didn't know you were going to be here." Excited to see him, she wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

"Yeah, it's all just one happy reunion," Jane muttered.

"Jane," Charlie turned his full attention on her, letting go of Lizzie.

"Hi...Charlie," she responded, her eyes widening at his gaze. She had been lying to Will earlier when she said she wanted to dress up for Lizzie. Will knew she was lying, of course, but now she was admitting it to herself. She was dressing up for Charlie Bingley.

And to show Charlie Bingley what he once had and what he had been stupid enough to lose.

"Well," Will said dryly, after several moments of Jane and Charlie simply staring at each other. "If this has been sufficiently awkward for all of us, can we leave?"

"Yeah," Jane said loudly, shaking her head and blinking furiously, taking the lead in the walk outside. Elizabeth followed, but not before sending Darcy a curiously amused look, leaving Will left standing next to the baggage claim with five bags and an unmoving Charlie.

"On the bright side," Will started. "At least Ella and I are friends."

"Yeah, how did _that _happen, anyways?"

Will shrugged. "I don't know. She smiled at me when she came out and I didn't jump down her throat by telling her she was horrible but I loved her anyways?"

"That might actually have done the trick," Charlie agreed.

"I definitely thought so."

"You got luckier than me, though."

"Charlie, it wasn't that bad."

"Jane looked _amazing, _Will. And you know Jane, she hates getting dressed up unless she's out to either impress or prove a point and in this case, it's obvious she's trying to do both."

"Charlie Bingley, meet Jane Bennet: The Bitch Side."

"Is it weird if that just makes me love her more."

"...Maybe."

"Because, she used to be...Jane, you know? All sweet and happy and bubbly. And she's still _Jane _she's just..she's standing up for herself."

"You hurt her, Charlie."

Charlie ducked his head. "I..."

"I get that you were hurt, too, but you screwed up, not her. Which means I'm going to side with her on this one."

"I don't even blame you for that."

"Good. 'Cause Jane's pretty awesome."

Charlie let out a large breath of air. "Yeah. But she hates me."

"You already knew that," Will pointed out. "We discussed this when we talked about you coming."

"I have to win her back, Will," Charlie said, completely ignoring his best friend's previous statement.

"I'm really not sure that's the best idea, Char-"

"_I'm going to win her back," _Charlie repeated, more forcefully this time. "If I can't have Jane Bennet, I'm going to die alone, because I won't want any other woman." Then, squaring his shoulders, he grabbed the rolling suitcase nearest to him and started walking in the direction that Jane and Elizabeth had gone off in.

Will looked around, and upon realizing that he was left with four very heavy bags, yelled at Charlie's retreating back. "Charlie! That's great, and all, but could you at least wait until _after _you help me with the bags? Charlie?" Charlie kept walking. "Damn it!"

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><p>What the hell was Will Darcy playing at, Elizabeth though to herself. Who comes to the airport dressed as if they just stepped off the cover of GQ magazine? Except Jane, of course, but that was different because Jane was still in love with Charlie and had to prove a point.<p>

Unless Will Darcy was still..._no. _Do not go down that road, Lizzie, she stopped her train of thought. It was ten years ago and he probably doesn't even remember anymore.

Yeah, right. What guy forgets being shut down by a girl he already considers inferior. The male specimen had a habit of being egotistic, and Will Darcy circa eight years ago was no exception.

Whether that Will Darcy was _this _Will Darcy still remained to be seen, but if they were able to continue on like this, she wasn't _that _worried about working in the same office as him.

The silence in the cab was driving her (and everyone else) crazy. They had gotten one of those five-seater SUV cabs, one that reminded her of the cab she had lost her camera in during her previous trip to New York, three years ago.

When she had last seen Will Darcy.

_don'tgotheredon'tgothere. _

Right.

Will was sitting in the front of the cab, probably to ensure that he would be the one to pay the cabbie when they stopped in front of their apartment building. Lizzie made a mental note to ask him later how much the fare had amounted to so she could pay him back.

Wouldn't want him to think of her as a freeloader.

_don'tgotheredon'tgothere._

She, Charlie, and Jane were sitting in the backseat, Charlie and Jane at the windows. When they were getting in the car, Charlie had tried to nab the middle seat, with Jane on his right, but Jane had promptly gotten out of the car, gone around to the other side, and pushed Lizzie into the seat, leaving Charlie no choice but to scoot over; it was a pretty genius move, if she said so herself. Unfortunately, it meant she was stuck between the girl-who-perpetually glared and the boy-who-perpetually-zoned-out. Her only other option was talking to Will, and since they were kindasortafriends now, it didn't even seem to be such a bad thing.

And so, in the middle of Z100's airing of the Glee version of Baby, It's Cold Outside, she leaned over in her seat as far as the grating would let her, and talked to Will's shoulder.

"So, how do you like living in New York?" she asked him. He turned his head in surprise, obviously not expecting her to start a conversation, but then smiled at her (it made it's way to his eyes, too). Before he could answer, though, Jane snorted.

She was, he realized, a very different person when Charlie Bingley was around. Maybe she was just trying to prove that she wasn't the same Jane he had left. The Jane who would listen to everyone around her and let them walk all over her.

"Well, excuse me for trying to break up the silence," Lizzie said to her sister.

"You're excused," Jane replied, a smile tugging at her lips.

"_Jane!" _

"_What? _You asked to be excused."

"You're not funny, Jane," Lizzie said in a tone that signalled that she didn't actually believe what she was saying.

"Actually," Charlie cut in eagerly. "She has this really good joke she tells where-" he shut up suddenly when Jane threw him a glare. "Right. Sorry, I'll just not talk."

"That's a good idea, Charlie," Jane said sweetly. "After all, you prefer writing letters to talking about things, anyways, right?"

At the mention of a crucial part of their history, Charlie blanched.

"SO," Will turned as far as he could, trying to shift the conversation back to easy waters. "Living in New York is great. I mean, the cost of living is high, but your sister is helping me with that, so, you know. But there's never a quiet moment."

"Yeah," Lizzie said. "I can already see that."

Will snorted again. "This Christmas is going to be interesting."

Lizzie turned to him, a smirk forming on her face. "You think?"

He shook his head. "I _know._"

She blinked for a moment, trying to remember _why _exactly she didn't like him. All those years ago, she had rejected him because he had insulted her, he acted as if he owned the place, he didn't talk to too many people, he never went out on dates. It was as if he was out to show the world that he was the best and he was going to make sure everyone knew that they didn't deserve to be in his company.

But somehow, this version of Will didn't seem to be like that. This version of Will had a dry sense of humor and an easy smile (he was smiling a _lot). _He was protective of her sister, but knew her well enough to keep enough distance between them; Jane was able to take care of herself.

Still, she'd only been in New York for less than an hour, so any changes in personality could be just temporary.

Then again, Jane wouldn't have been best friends with the man for the better part of a decade (God, a decade!) if he was insufferable.

So maybe there was something more to Will Darcy, Elizabeth decided, as they finally pulled up to the apartment building and she stepped down. After all, cab fare from JFK to the Upper East Side wasn't exactly cheap, and Will was paying, not even going Dutch with Charlie.

Maybe it wouldn't have seemed like such a big thing to anyone else, but to Elizabeth, it actually meant a lot.

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><p>an: sorry if you thought there wasn't enough dialogue. there will be next chapter, i promise, along with some darcy/lizzie action and some jane/charlie stuff. I'm going to write out a full-story outline for this story so that it makes SENSE throughout, and then i'm sure my chapters will get longer.

now, some questions: Should I do as Jane austen did and not have a single darcy/lizzie kiss in here and have them fall in love anyways? And, should I put Wickham in here, or should Will redeem himself to Lizzie in some other way?

REVIEW!

The-Passionate-Sun


	4. Chapter 4

a/n: in lieu of APs this coming Monday, I am updating this little thing, which is probably the last thing you'll be seeing from me until next weekend. It's been a while, so I wanted to update before I got too lost in stuff. I pretty much want to shoot myself because Chem is Monday, but after Friday, I'm okay. I'll only have AP Lang after that, and everyone knows that no one really cares about AP Lang.

so yeah. Enjoy! Thanks for the reviews. Seriously. 25 for one chapter? Blew me away. :D

-P&P-

"Charlie, what the hell are you doing?" Will asked incredulously. "Get down from that ladder, you're going to fall."

Will had come out of the kitchen with a slice of red velvet cake, only to be met with the sight of Charlie on a ladder, trying to fix an already working light bulb. Will didn't even want to ask where he'd gotten the ladder from. 

"No," Charlie responded, his attention fixed intently on the light bulb he was twisting into the ceiling. "I need to fix this light bulb."

"..._why_?" Will asked blankly. "It already works."

"I'm doing it to impress Jane."

"You're doing what to impress Jane," Lizzie asked, walking into the hallway from the living room, hands tucked into the back pockets of her jeans, Jane trailing behind her.

"Who's doing what to impress me? And why are you always _eating?_" Jane asked Will.

"Charlie's trying to replace an already working light bulb in the hopes that you'll look at him as a manly-man again, and I'm always eating because food is _delicious,_" he shrugged in response.

_Besides,_ Lizzie thought. _At least he works off the calories. _Will Darcy was a fine, _fine _male specimen who fit the phrase 'tall, dark, and handsome' to a tee. At six foot 3, he stood taller than most people he met, except for Charlie, who was only half an inch shorter. Unlike Charlie, however, he had broader shoulders and was more built than lean. His muscles, while not huge, were enough to fill out his dark green sweater perfectly. And though he eyes weren't a 'unique' color like blue or green or a dark, stormy grey, she felt like she was drowning in melted chocolate when she held his gaze for too long.

Or any amount of time, really.

And when he laughed, he was...

Well, he was _something_; she just didn't know what yet.

"Charlie? A man's man?" Jane snorted. "Yes, that'll happen when he starts to think for himself."

Charlie stopped twisting the light bulb and shifted on the ladder so he could look at the three of them, the tops of their heads almost three feet below his. "What is your problem, Jane?" he demanded.

"You," she responded with a saccharine smile. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"Yes, it is," he started climbing down. "Because you haven't stopped making stupid comments like these in the past two days."

Since they'd gotten to New York two days ago, all Lizzie and Charlie (and Will, for that matter) had been treated to were smart comments from Jane, who was doing everything she could to convey to Charlie just how unhappy she was with this arrangement. The only reason Charlie was surviving was because he kept thinking of what it would be like when she finally loved him again every time she started. Unfortunately, that often meant that Charlie would zone out into his own world where everything was fine and dandy and Jane would get even _madder_ that Charlie, who was professing to try and win her back, couldn't even care enough to pay attention.

When Jane yelled more, Charlie zoned out more.

It was a vicious, vicious cycle.

He'd kept quiet about it until now, but even for a nice guy like Charlie, there had to be a limit.

Then again, Charlie was the one who had screwed up, so maybe he _should_ listen to all this crap. God knows how Will was smiling at _her _every five seconds.

"Would you have liked it if I baked cookies for you instead?"

"Jane," he rolled his eyes. "No, I wouldn't like that."

"Then please, Charlie, do tell me what you want. After all, that's the only thing that matters, right?"

"Okay," Lizzie said quickly, sensing the forming argument. "I'm going to go see if there are any Christmas movies on ABC Family." She deftly stepped around Jane and started walking back in the direction she'd come, eager to get away from the brewing argument.

"I'll come with you," Will added, throwing a panicky look to his two best friends. "I think Home Alone should be on right now."

"I would _love _to be Home Alone right now," Lizzie muttered.

"Me _too._" Jane glared at Charlie.

"Okay, you know what, Jane?"

"No, I don't know _what_, Charlie."

Will practically ran out of the room after Lizzie.

-P&P-

"When did my sister get so _vicious?_" Lizzie asked him as they settled onto the couch.

"Around the time she became a first-year resident. Apparently you get tougher when your patients start to die."

"Poor Jane."

"Poor Jane, indeed. She had this one patient with cancer. Probably around nine or ten years old. The girl, Katelyn, seemed like she was going to make it, but then once she got out of surgery, she went into a coma. Jane was depressed for days."

"Oh, my God. _Katelyn?" _

"Yeah. I think it hit her so hard partly because your younger sister's name is Katelyn, too."

"Wow, I missed a lot. She never tells me these things."

"She doesn't like to burden people with these things."

"I'm her _sister."_

"She doesn't even tell me."

"But you're not her _sister."_

"I'm her best friend," he stated confidently. "It might as well be the same thing."

"Uh, no," she replied incredulously. "Being her best friend does not make you her sister."

"Brother, then."

Somehow, the idea of Will being her brother (even by transitive property in a purely hypothetical situation) didn't sit right with her.

"No, not the same."

"This is what happens when you live 3,000 miles away."

She shot him a look. "Hey, it doesn't mean I love my sister any less."

Will raised his hands in defense. "I never said it did."

"Okay." Slightly mollified, she toned down her glare and turned her attention to the television instead, where, sure enough, Home Alone was playing. They were silent for the first ten minutes of the movie, but the moment Macaulay Culkin was into the Plaza, she couldn't take the silence any longer. "So how's life," she asked, focusing a little too intently on the screen.

Will was amused. "Life is good."

"Yeah? Your girlfriend doesn't mind that we're here?" she asked casually. What was _with _her? She didn't care if Will Darcy had a girlfriend.

You know, of course not.

"No," Will bit back a laugh. She was _fishing for information._

"So you _have_ a girlfriend?" she asked casually.

"Are you _fishing, _Lizzie?"

"NO!" She turned to look at him. "I'm making polite conversation."

"If you say so."

"I _do_ say so."

"Okay."

"Okay."

Cue silence.

It was amazing, really, how being in his presence for just two days had made her question why, exactly, she had rejected him. The difference between Will Darcy now and Will Darcy in 2003 was so significant; she almost kept forgetting they were the same people. He shifted in his seat, then, and the way he angled his body made it so easy for her to smell him...

"Lizzie!" Jane called, her voice panicky. "Come on, let's go out."

Lizzie shot up in her seat, shaking her head clear of such thoughts.

Who the fuck cared if Will Darcy smelled nice?

Not her.

Or so she told herself.

-P&P-

Jane had come to a silent agreement with herself that she was going to tell Lizzie what had happened with Charlie.

But not right now, when she and her sister were taking a nice walk down 6th Avenue, heading to the Rockefeller Center.

Eventually.

After all, just because she hated him didn't mean that Lizzie had to as well. Hate by association was one thing, but she loved Lizzie and didn't want her sister to end up in jail.

It hurt to think about it, but she _couldn't _tell her sister. Not even the SparkNotes version:

Three years ago, Charlie had proposed to Jane. They had been engaged for one blissful week, when Jane came home one day to read a letter from Charlie saying that she could keep the ring, but he couldn't follow through with it. The letter had gone on to explain how sorry he was and how much he loved her, as well as his reasons for leaving, but Jane hadn't had the heart to keep reading. All she had registered was one word in the middle of the second sentence: _Caroline. _Her second thought was that Lizzie could never, _ever_ find out, because, well, she'd castrate Charlie. Or kill him.

And seeing how three years later, Jane was still in love with Charlie, it just made sense that she would want him available with all his...ahem, _parts. _

(What? Just because she was a surgical resident didn't mean she had to be so clinical _all _the time.)

"You know," Lizzie said. "There's this Thai place around the corner that seemed really good."

"You saw the sign and you think it's good?" Jane asked with a smile and a raised eyebrow.

"I got this vibe!"

"A _vibe?"_

"Yes."

"Okay," Jane sighed. She pushed all thoughts of Charlie from her head and followed her sister around the corner, only to be met with the sight of a subway station.

Lizzie, paying no heed to her older sister, started descending the stairs leading to the underground station.

"Really, Lizzie? I thought 'around the corner' meant 'around the corner'!"

"Well, the train station _was _around the corner!"

She was waving her iPhone at Jane, who could clearly see the Google Maps app open. "Alright. Fine."

"Fine."

"_Fine."_

And so it continued on the way to the train.

Jane could talk about Charlie later. She just wished she knew what to _say. _

-P&P-

Please, do review, whether you liked it or didn't, what you think I'm doing wrong, whatever. It's a skewed up timeline, so I'm counting on you guys to make sure I don't mess up too much!

Till next time,

The-Passionate-Sun.


	5. Chapter 5

"Am I supposed to do something while I'm here?"

"What do you mean," Jane asked, trying to wrap some noodles around her fork.

"You know, with Will."

"You want to do something will Will?"

"...What? No? No! I just was wondering if I should extend an olive branch or something. You know, so that he knows that I want to keep the peace."

"Lizzie, you've been on your best behavior since you got here, not to mention the fact that you can't stop looking at the man's ass. Besides, every time he talks to you, it's like you melt into a puddle on the floor."

"I do not! I am not that shallow, Janie," Lizzie said, insulted. She picked up her own fork and stabbed purposefully into a shrimp on Jane's plate. She was obviously trying to make a point, what with the menacing glare she was sending Jane's way.

"I'm not afraid of you, please stop glaring."

"Fine," Lizzie said, shoulders slumping. "Okay don't be mad, but I think I'm going to be moving to New York soon."

"What? Why would I be mad at that? Unless you're joking...Are you joking?"

"No," Lizzie smiled shyly. "I'm getting sick of LA, and New York has some amazingopportunities. You're here, too! It's great, I think it's going to be great. I didn't know how to tell you before I got here, but uh, I applied to Bingley, Fitzwilliam, and Hurst a little while ago. They called me a few days before I flew out and said that they would like to meet me to discuss hours and starting salary."

"You got a job? In New York?"

"I did," Lizzie finally broke out into a full smile. "Hopefully Will won't have anything against me working with him."

Jane was silent. For years it had been a point of contention between herself and Will. Lizzie had been heartbroken that summer. She'd come to New York with high hopes for herself and her career, and she'd left with a broken heart and a crushed spirit. The Elizabeth that she was now was profoundly different than the bright-eyed, naive young girl who had first come to the city, hoping to change the world one case at a time. The fact of the matter was, Lizzie and Will had both unknowingly changed each other for the better. Lizzie was successful now, on her own merit, and confident in her abilities. Will, on the other hand, was softer, more compassionate. There was no way that present-day Will Darcy, her best friend and roommate, would have any issue with working with her younger sister.

That was one thing she was one hundred percent sure of.

"Will is going to be great about this," she told Lizzie. "You'll see."

* * *

><p>"So what do you guys want to do today?" Lizzie asked, picking up an apple from the fruit bowl on the dining table. "I'm free."<p>

"Well I'm not," Jane answered, moving quickly around the kitchen. She picked up a packet of Pop-Tarts, a thermos of coffee that Will had already set aside for her, and the iPhone that was charging on the kitchen counter. She stuffed her phone in her jacket pocket, ripped open the packet of Pop-Tarts with her teeth, and then, spitting out the tiny peice of wrapper, said,

"I'm going to be late for surgery. Sorry, kids to save, lives to enlighten." She smiled apologetically, "You know how it is, right?"

"You're talking to a room full of lawyers," Will pointed out. "We don't really know."

"My bad. Sometimes I forget you're not all as awesome as me."

Lizzie snorted. Jane pouted. "Hey, I'm pretty awesome, okay?"

"She is pretty-" Charlie piped up. Jane whirled around, raising an eyebrow.

"You," she pointed a finger at him. "Shut up."

She started to make her way out of the room, pretending to ignore Lizzie and Will and their poorly hidden laughs, but Charlie followed her on her way out, making it just in time to block her in front of the kitchen doorway. He was facing her, so when she moved to the right, he moved to the left, and vice versa.

"Charlie," she said, exasperated. "Stop this. I have to leave."

He wrung his hands nervously, then held up a finger in front of her as he mentally prepared himself for what he was going to say. "Have dinner with me, tonight," he said earnestly.

"No," she said instantly. "Now get out of my way, I need to get to the hospital."

"Say you'll come, and I'll move."

"Charlie."

"Say it, Janie."

"Don't call me that."

"I'll do whatever you want if you do this one thing for me, Jane, please." He stepped closer to her, eliminating almost all the space. The way he was looking down at her, a mixture of anguish and hope, regret and pleading, made her resolve crumble.

"Okay, how about I agree to think about it?"

He licked his lips, "But then you'll say no," he said meekly.

Jane exhaled loudly. "You don't know that."

"I do," he nodded. "I do know that. You'll say no."

"Alright fine," she sighed, dropping her head to look at the floor, anything to avert her gaze from Charlie. "Fine, we'll go out for dinner tonight, just you and me. Now can I please go?"

Charlie bit back a smile and stepped aside, gesturing for Jane to go out the door.

"Absolutely."

She was out the door in seconds, but not before turning back to Lizzie one last time.

"Remember what we talked about over lunch yesterday, okay?"

Lizzie nodded silently and shooed her out the door.

Once they all heard the door slam behind Jane, Charlie let his grin show. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you: Winning Back The Love Of Your Life: Step One, albeit with some cryptic messages in between."

Will ignored Charlie's optimism. "She hates you."

"I know, Will. That's why I'm doing this."

"Charlie, why don't you just let her be?"

"Because I just can't."

"That- that is not a good reason," Lizzie shook her head. "There are a thousand things that could go wrong tonight."

"You don't know that," Charlie protested.

"Jane's not going to do anything tonight," Will agreed, turning to Lizzie. "I know her, she's not going to want to make a scene."

"He hurt her," Lizzie argued incredulously. "I'm sorry, Charlie, I love you, I do, but you hurt her badly. There is no way she's going on a date with you tonight and just let you charm her."

"You insult me by calling me a charmer," Charlie deadpanned. "You wound me."

"Shut up, Charlie," Will said. He checked his watch, stood up from his spot at the kitchen island, and then grabbed his briefcase from the edge of the counter. "I have to go to work, will you two be okay by yourselves? No uh," he looked at Lizzie nervously. "Fighting in the for your sister's honor."

"Caroline has no honor," Charlie answered immediately.

"I was talking about Jane, actually. Caro's honor is so far in the distance that-"

"Funny, Will," Lizzie interrupted. She had no great love of Caroline Bingley, but there was no reason to talk about a person behind their back. "But I was wondering if I could just come in to the office with you?"

Both men turned to stare at her. "Why."

"Um," Lizzie scratched her nose nervously. "Just wanted to see how much it's changed!"

"Oh. Well then by all means," Will said, turning around, most likely to escape the room before he had to start talking about That Summer. "You're free to join me. Meet me downstairs in five minutes, I'll have a cab waiting." He started to walk out of the kitchen, and Lizzie heard him reaching for a jacket from the hall closet. She let out a breath that she didn't know she'd been holding, and then put her arm out to lean on the kitchen island. Charlie, who was still in the kitchen, came and stood in front of her. Outside, Will opened the door to the apartment, stepped out, and slammed it shut with a thud. Charlie was the first to speak.

"What are you hiding?"

"Nothing," she said unconvincingly. "Why would you think I'm hiding something?"

"You're on vacation. You don't have to step into a law firm or a courtroom or anything regarding justice for the next two weeks and yet you're willingly going to Bingley, Fitzwilliam, and Hurst. Why."

She moved away, smirking. "Well aren't you perceptive, Charlie?"

"Hey, it got me through Harvard."

"Right. But it's not going to get you anywhere else," she said, standing in front of the kitchen doorway. "I'm sorry. You're looking too hard." She shrugged her shoulders playfully and then smirked again. "What if I just want to spend some time alone with Will?"

His jaw went slack as she left him alone in the kitchen.

Lizzie and Will.

Well now, there was a thought.

* * *

><p>"Hey," Lizzie yelled through the lobby, trying to catch his attention. "Will!"<p>

He diverted his attention from the street, where his arm was sticking up, trying to signal for a cab.

She was walking quickly, pushing her right arm into the sleeve of her trench coat. Once that was done, she fluffed her hair out from behind the collar, her freshly laundered curls falling down her shoulders. He was pretty sure he looked like an idiot, with his arm hanging limply above the street, his mouth a little open as he watched him come to her. In his mind's eye, he could almost envision her giving him a peck on the lips before they sat in a cab together.

Just another couple on the streets of Manhattan.

Except that they deviated from the all-dark dress code that most New Yorkers seemed to adopt. He had a red scarf tied loosely around his neck, she had a light blue peacoat underneath the trench coat. Rebellious.

"Cab's here," she said breathlessly upon reaching him, "What? Do I have something on my face?"

"No, no," he snapped out of his mini-daydream. "I'm just not used to people calling my name in the lobby."

"Right."

"Why don't you go first," he said nervously, opening the door of the cab for her. She gave him a curious look and then slipped inside, and he followed behind, closing the door behind them.

"Where to?"

"Madison Avenue and East 25th Street," he said offhandedly, attention still on Elizabeth.

"You look nice."

"Thanks, I didn't really do anything, but, yeah," she bit her lip. "Look, I have something to tell you."

Lizzie didn't really know what she was supposed to say, considering her personal relationship with Will was nonexistent. She didn't really owe him anything, nor did he deserve an explanation or a heads-up. Just as she was about to make an excuse and change the subject, he spoke.

"Look, Lizzie, if this is about the fact that you're uncomfortable with the arrangements, it's fine. I can take a room at a hotel for the next two weeks, honestly. Just say the word." She couldn't help but stare at him, take in the expression on his face, and wonder how much he'd changed. His eyes were warm and brown and so sincere, it almost hurt. What were these emotional reactions she was having to Will Darcy? She'd never felt like this before, especially not when he was around. Then again, he hadn't always been this nice. And she didn't know anyone who she considered even half as attractive as him, so that probably helped.

"Your problem," she replied, trying to keep her tone light. "Is that you are too self-deprecating." She flashed him a smile to set him at ease and patted his arm. Courage and decency were good traits. Have the courage to be a decent person, Lizzie, she told herself. You can do this.

"So you're not telling me to move out?"

"I am most definitely not telling you that you have to move out, don't worry. Actually," she tucked her hair behind her ear, giving him a full view of her face. "I'm planning on moving in." His heart stopped. "What?"

"Not into your apartment, of course," she said quickly. "But I- um, got a job. In the city."

"You got a job in New York? That's great! Where?"

"East 25th Street and Madison Avenue," the cabbie announced, pulling to a stop.

Lizzie looked out the window, surprised at how short the ride had been. Will laughed at the expression on her face, got out of the cab, and then went around the other side to open her door. He paid the cab fare and then joined her at the curb, where she was staring up at the tall building. She'd forgotten how tall buildings were in New York sometimes.

"So this is it," he gestured to the sign in front of the building, where a large plaque was labeled 'Bingley Fitzwilliam & Hurst.' "It's a lot more dreary inside, don't be fooled by the outside. It is New York during the Christmas Season, so I doubt you'll find a livelier place on Earth."

"You talk very formally, you know that?"

He raised his eyebrows at her.

"I didn't say it was a bad thing," she said in defense, green eyes widening. "I just said it was _a_ thing."

"Spoken like a true lawyer."

"I'm pretty sure those are the only kind," she retaliated. She started walking away without waiting for his reply, and he stared after her, blinking, before he realized he was letting her get away.

"What was it you wanted to say to me in the cab," he asked, sticking his hand out to prevent her from walking any faster than she already was.

"Nothing important," she said, looking him in the eye.

"I don't believe you," he said bluntly.

"Okay. The job offer," she paused, rocking back on her heels. She was fidgety, and he could tell. They weren't particularly close, which was why she said it as quickly as she could. "The job offer is _here_." She bowed her head slightly and held her arm out toward the building.

* * *

><p>AN: It has been a while since I've written one of these. Or published anything. Sorry guys. Don't egg my house. College is hard and life is hard and yes.

Please review if you can. :D


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